NOTE!!! This discussion is intended to be about the range of topics we might want to focus on ONLY.

It is NOT intended to be the place where we actually HAVE those discussions. If something that is proposed here grabs you, by all means start a thread about it in Member-Initiated Discussions. Or, if it's a really big and juicy subject, perhaps you might even want to start a group to discuss it--each group has its own forum, as well as "pages" that can be created and edited together.

Thanks for helping us keep our discussions organized. And thanks for all the great energy and ideas that you have been posting here so far!

Replies to This Discussion

Let's consider proposing a constitutional amendment so that senators come from 50 or 100 bioregions ("rounded off" as little as possible), instead of 50 historic, arbitrary segments. With the House of Representatives continuing to represent districts based on human population distributions, the Senate would represent all the other beings and materials.

A geographical basis for representation is already a well-established fact. We'd simply shift to biophysical lines.

In anticipation of tomorrow's Cafe Call on non-violence, I am curious about strategies for resolving conflict. Many times acts of violence (physical, emotional, etc.) are preceeded by situations that might not escalate if they are identified and addressed.

I have recently heard of strategies for gaining conscensus which are fairly simple to implement on-the-fly...are there any for conflict???

* How do we create and sustain powerful, life-centered containers for collaboration for a local Occupy Process in the face of tremendous Uncertainty?

(By tremendous Uncertainty I mean, I have doubt about the motivations of those who put the original call/invitation for the Occupation(s). I also mean uncertainty about my (and that of others) ability to make a powerful contribution when it looks like there are others who are there to sabotage all efforts. And that's just some of the elements of Uncertainty.)

Solutions. That's what the people are begging for, and we are not giving them. I have 4 lists of ten solutions, so let me introduce my idea with the biggie, the only problem we have is Corruption, and the rest, like wall street, the police state, 911...are all symptoms and will persist until re unseat this corrupt Duopoly. They have actually morphed a democratic dream, into a fascist oligarchy. REally, look up the terms, and we have to start, on the steps of our...well, their congress. New parties, new independents, anything but one of the two parties, who embraced corruption. So, my 10 ways to fix federal corruption, a specific solution..the nation can rally around. Uh, specific rule, in any revolution. Otherwise, a bloodbath ensues, and another clone rises to power.

10 Ways to fix, everything....

A 10 point list off the top of my head..how to fix things {Test post-4matting}:

1: get new parties and independents in...and

2: Have them write and pass the laws we need to both end and prevent corruption, which are simple:

3: PUBLICLY FUNDED ELECTIONS: Poof! there goes 75% of the incentive and platform which breeds corruption (It would be dirt cheap...requiring donated time in all media...equal time, and addressing a defined set of things we need to attend to...education..healthcare...and see what they propose - ie: are they smart?

4: TERM LIMITS: ...the way you can be sure corrupted and unethical members leave, and attach a No Lobbying in DC, ever! Go home to your state, and make an honest living....

5: INDEPENDENT OVERSIGHT: ...with the laws required to prosecute members...they have essentially put themselves above our laws (They can do inside trading on stocks...!) and have never self-policed themselves.

6: LIMITED GERMANE AMENDMENTS: Limit amendments to 10, which have to be germane to the bills.

7: NO EARMARKS OR PORK: ...period We need to re-educate them and ourselves, their job is "to Represent their constituents in matters of National Interest, in DC", not to grab as much money for their districts - this is a biggie, they have redefined their roles, lied to us about this being "the way things are done here..", yeah, my 5 year old tried that on me too, in the great sand-box wars of 2003.) ...and THEY have taken over almost all of your states rights. We are The United States, and you live where you find beliefs similar, and each state is its own state.

8: National programs are so big...that corruption is too easy, so limit the fed and return to the states their rights - example: Weed laws and the cruel private jailing going on....

9: UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE: Follow the lead of every other advanced nation, and the will of every God...create a national health care system...with very good competitive bidding and shopping around for prices...the corruption evident in Bushes bill is a shameful one...the government cannot shop around for better prices and companies?

{This brings up this point: democracy, is a form of government, socialism, capitalism are economic models, call them Cooperation and Competition. In world War II, we saw what we could do, when we cooperated, now, let's include cooperative models in our continued pursuit of peace, and happiness.

The necessities, I have always believed should be in a cooperative model, who wants to "shop around", when you have cancer? And then you are given marketing tainted platforms, from which you have to choose, who you think is the best?! I want to know, I am getting the best, period. So, socialism works there, as it does in the social security system, medicare, medicaid, and things like the tax deduction for interest paid on your mortgage. The necessities should not be taxed.

The bling, fun, non-essentials to life should be the domain of capitalism, yet the landscape lately smacks of socialism...in reverse: Instead of everyone putting their all into a single pot from which are drawn equal cups...a select few get to keep most of their all, and also draw two cups. few drink the nectar of prosperity, and the masses keep getting their bare subsistence ration watered down. }

10: Let's collaborate...what is your liist?

..I am chard breed on face book...its all under notes..and I gotta give this gal her computer she loaned me across this cafe table...so:

as I have written many times...the only problem is political corruption from which thousands of symptoms emerge (the tax code folly, the pay-to-play environment, the absolute deaf ears to constituents who are normal workers...). OK, no way? Let's look at this:

Banks, hold 89.65% of this country to loans which are paper survivors of the word "confidence". So...as I wished would have happened in 2008, let the Interstate Banks go under on their own banks sheet balances by either requiring 20% cash reserves - or just let us know that there is not any real money in them. Allow a law to be that central state banks be the largest, and fewer that 10. Also, reinstate Glass-Stegal. Then in this re-boot wipe clean their books, of all individual and small business loans. Your house is yours, your company or corner store is free of debts from those behemoths. Some would say, "OMG! The confidence in the banking system will die!" However, I say is confidence in a system of fraud & injustice sensible? Did one banker go to jail? Did one politician go to jail, who took millions in donation-bribes go to jail? Did billionaires get trillions, and then take million dollar bonuses? We would have the booming-est economy, we would see justice done, and our confidence would be in a bright & just future...instead of a hopeless present. Confidence is a word skewed in the discussions of banking, hunger is a spark of a future violent depression and complete renewal of our congressional membership. After working on The Hill for 20 years, I can attest that over 1/2 of the members cannot even use email, much less comprehend the power of he internet. In closing, a sign of extreme political corruption is that the powerful are complete idiots & maniacs without ethics, integrity or morals - Stalin & The North Korean guy? Saddam Hussein? Those, are the quality we have now representing us, truthfully.

and:

I lament that these protests are being watched by a Congress going "whew!", with a very worried look on their faces.... No, I actually lament that Congress and their supporters are wringing their hands in glee that these protests are being misdirected to a mere symptom, and not Political corruption which is our only problem. The banks which have plunged us into a depression which will make the Great Depression look like a piece of cake, the housing crisis, the health care crisis, the absurdly unfair tax rules and one-sided loopholes...all of these are merely symptoms spawned by political corruption.

We have a duopoly in bed with big business, corporations and the wealthy who are all working solely for their benefits, there is no "National Interest' in the workings of Capitol Hill and the business of our Congressional Members. If you look objectively at this system which has evolved, it is fascism.

We got distracted by more & more channels, more & more things we just had to buy because they were such a deal, and more & more square feet of home which we will only be cleaning (we all live in our kitchens, bedrooms and an occasional den WHERE watch that 10,000 channel universe...) and this home is such a requirement of 'getting ahead'..."they always rise in value". And while we were not watching, Politics became very corrupt, in bed with their supporters enjoying financial org*sms while we endure economic pregnancies...again & again & again.

My new only wish in the world, is that these protests leave behind that symptom of a corrupt financial and banking system and go to the steps of The Capitol, where they can fix the problem from which all of these symptoms were spawned. We need to create new political parties, who can challenge and replace this duopoly, then the first order of business has to be to put in place a system of transparency and independent oversight with harsh sentences so we never ever visit again being ruled by a corrupt group of politicians. In closing...these new political entities and systems and parties are beginning to emerge, like The Coffee Party, and Americans Elect, yet they will not stand a chance if they, the OWS protesters and every Americans understands that we have one big problem and that is the head of the snake

I'd like to see the issue of will-to-power vs equality & natural justice addressed.

It is my opinion that will-to-power is the prime driver of the problems facing society & that unless this issue is addressed the problems that Occupy are trying to solve will only be reimplemented within their own counterculture.